A total herbicide clears everything green it touches, grass and broadleaf weeds alike, which makes it the tool for hard surfaces, ground clearance and pre-planting work rather than anywhere you want a lawn to survive. Every product in this category is a glyphosate formulation, so the decision is not really which active ingredient to use. It is concentration, dose rate and which stewardship features matter for your site.

360g/L or 480g/L

Gallup Biograde 360 and Roundup ProActive 360 are both the standard 360g/L glyphosate concentration, applied at up to 5 to 7 litres per hectare for most perennial weeds. Roundup ProVantage 480 is a higher-load 480g/L potassium salt formulation, so less product and less packaging is needed per hectare for the same result, which is the direction current glyphosate stewardship guidance points towards. If you are buying for a large area and want to minimise product carried to site, ProVantage’s higher concentration does the same job with a smaller pack footprint.

What you are actually controlling

All three control annual and perennial grass and broadleaf weeds at standard rates. For tougher or waxy-leaved targets, rates step up: Gallup Biograde 360 goes to 6L/ha for larger or tougher weeds, and ProVantage’s rate table runs from 2.25L/ha for annual weeds up to 7.5L/ha for rhododendron, ivy, horsetail and other difficult waxy-leaved plants. ProVantage is also specifically approved for Japanese knotweed, applied as a foliar spray, stem fill, stem injection or by weed wiper. If horsetail is the main target on any of these products, the manufacturer guidance points to a dedicated horsetail treatment rather than a standard glyphosate rate.

Rainfastness and handling

All three are classed as non-hazardous under COSHH and biodegrade in soil, so none carry additional transport hazard symbols. ProVantage is rainfast in 1 hour on annual weeds and 4 hours on perennial weeds, and performs reliably in dry weather whether hot or cool, which matters if your spraying windows are narrow. ProActive 360 is built around the same clean-label approach with a low-drift formulation aimed at keeping the spray on target rather than drifting to neighbouring plants or water.

Which product for which job

  • Gallup Biograde 360: standard 360g/L glyphosate for general ground clearance, grassland destruction and non-crop areas, all year round.
  • Roundup ProActive 360: 360g/L, low-drift formulation for hard and natural surfaces, can be tank-mixed with Chikara for combined total and residual control.
  • Roundup ProVantage 480: higher-concentration option for larger areas, difficult weeds, aquatic margins and Japanese knotweed work.

Facts and safety

These are professional-use plant protection products. Always read and follow the current product label and safety data sheet, and check dilution and application rates on the label at the time of use rather than from memory, since approvals and guidance can change. Keep livestock and pets off treated ground until any poisonous weeds have died back completely.

Next step

For most amenity and ground clearance jobs, either 360g/L product will do the work; the choice between Gallup and ProActive usually comes down to price and pack preference. Step up to ProVantage 480 where the area is large, the weeds are difficult, or the site includes aquatic margins or knotweed. If you need prevention as well as clearance, pair any of these with Chikara residual herbicide.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between the 360g/L and 480g/L products?

Both are glyphosate. The 480g/L formulation (Roundup ProVantage) is more concentrated, so less product is needed per hectare for the same result, which suits larger areas or sites where you want to carry less product. The 360g/L products (Gallup Biograde 360 and Roundup ProActive 360) are the industry-standard concentration.

Can I mix a total herbicide with a residual herbicide?

Roundup ProActive 360 can be tank-mixed with Chikara for combined clearance and residual control on hard surfaces. Always check the current labels of both products for compatible rates before mixing.

Is glyphosate safe to use near water?

Roundup ProVantage 480 is approved for use in aquatic areas at the stated rate, but always check the current label and any local environmental permit requirements before spraying near watercourses, and follow COSHH and stewardship guidance for buffer zones.